Looking for a modular cockpit replacement

[Hammer1-1]

So I have a Wheel Stand Pro warthog edition at the moment. Its a few years old, performs for me very well, but I want something more. Ive been looking at buying a few new cockpits like the Boeing Military Edition Next Level Racing cockpit and a Simfab DCS version. Need to keep my budget under $1000 USD. Ive scoped out Voltaire and Monstertech and I find them a bit expensive or less transportable. Something that doesnt necessarily come with monitor stands but I can slap on upgrades at a later time, say for like a collective or a Winwing Hornet UFC. Looking for something that has everything I need out of the box though at first.

Does anyone here have the Boeing ME NLR cockpit by chance? Im fairly interested in getting one, but only if I can fit my VKB MCE w/ 200mm extension onboard, two Virpil throttles and eventually a collective. Are there any upgrades or addons for the setup? Or are there better options out there that I havent seen yet? Need some opinions if possible!

[corbu1]

Am 27.10.2023 um 01:05 schrieb Hammer1-1:

So I have a Wheel Stand Pro warthog edition at the moment. Its a few years old, performs for me very well, but I want something more. Ive been looking at buying a few new cockpits like the Boeing Military Edition Next Level Racing cockpit and a Simfab DCS version. Need to keep my budget under $1000 USD. Ive scoped out Voltaire and Monstertech and I find them a bit expensive or less transportable. Something that doesnt necessarily come with monitor stands but I can slap on upgrades at a later time, say for like a collective or a Winwing Hornet UFC. Looking for something that has everything I need out of the box though at first.

Does anyone here have the Boeing ME NLR cockpit by chance? Im fairly interested in getting one, but only if I can fit my VKB MCE w/ 200mm extension onboard, two Virpil throttles and eventually a collective. Are there any upgrades or addons for the setup? Or are there better options out there that I havent seen yet? Need some opinions if possible!

Not the NLR. Boeing edition….but I‘m actually building my new simpit with the NLR Flight stand pro and Flight seat pro combo. It‘s more expensive than the Boeing military edition and above 1000$. But this combo offers more possibilities adding joysticks,button boxes and other stuff.

I‘m still not finished building the pit but here are some pics of WIP…

Edited October 28, 2023 by corbu1

[Hempstead]

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1634444484406261711/5159989745868759669

Build in a weekend (in the first post, linked above). I use the original 80/20 extrusion.... they are much more expensive than the cloner stuff. But note that for this stuff, the connectors are the expensive stuff. However, I figured out to use just L-shaped aluminum bars cut into L brackets with two holes drilled into each. That saves a lot of money... and most importantly the damn-it-I-need-more-of-this-bracket-order-wait-for-shipment problem. All you need for tools are a bandsaw, a drill press, and some hand tools.

This one you see in the blog was made with 2020 (2"x2") and 1010null (1"x1"). 2020 members are used for main structure, and 1010 members are used for just mounting the "instruments and controllers."

Total cost is not much cheaper than Next Level Racing... (just the IKON racing chair is about $250).... but it's immensely more flexible (I have already reconfigured it 3 times).

[No1sonuk]

58 minutes ago, Hempstead said:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1634444484406261711/5159989745868759669

 

This link doesn't give your post.

[Hammer1-1]

10 hours ago, corbu1 said:

Not the NLR. Boeing edition….but I‘m actually building my new simpit with the NLR Flight stand pro and Flight seat pro combo. It‘s more expensive than the Boeing military edition and above 1000$. But this combo offers more possibilities adding joysticks,button boxes and other stuff.

I‘m still not finished building the pit but here are some pics of WIP…

 

Yeah Ive looked at that, and its about perfect for what I need and then some. Unfortunately its a tad bit out of reach for me. I "might" make a concession to get both of them though as it has just about everything I want and need in a cockpit.

9 hours ago, Hempstead said:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1634444484406261711/5159989745868759669

Build in a weekend (in the first post, linked above). I use the original 80/20 extrusion.... they are much more expensive than the cloner stuff. But note that for this stuff, the connectors are the expensive stuff. However, I figured out to use just L-shaped aluminum bars cut into L brackets with two holes drilled into each. That saves a lot of money... and most importantly the damn-it-I-need-more-of-this-bracket-order-wait-for-shipment problem. All you need for tools are a bandsaw, a drill press, and some hand tools.

This one you see in the blog was made with 2020 (2"x2") and 1010null (1"x1"). 2020 members are used for main structure, and 1010 members are used for just mounting the "instruments and controllers."

Total cost is not much cheaper than Next Level Racing... (just the IKON racing chair is about $250).... but it's immensely more flexible (I have already reconfigured it 3 times).

Id love nothing more than to build my own. I know where to find the extrusions, the hardware, everything. I just dont have a place of my own to do the work, else I would have done that years ago.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Hammer1-1

[Hempstead]

7 hours ago, Hammer1-1 said:

Id love nothing more than to build my own. I know where to find the extrusions, the hardware, everything. I just dont have a place of my own to do the work, else I would have done that years ago.

Sorry about that, I copied URL of the "Preview" link as the blog author... instead of what the public would need. Here's the URL for the public.

https://blog.hempstick.org/2023/09/a-pit-finally.html 

 

Ok... I do have a lot of tools... including several CNC mills/routers, and a lot more tools that go with them... but, this one is an easy build. Except cutting the aluminum extrusion, cutting the L-brackets, and drilling the L-brackets.... this thing is pretty much build in place, right in my home office, which is combined with my gaming space. I just pushed my office chair away.

Cutting the extrusions and the L-brackets... a hack saw will do just fine.... it's just that a USD$99 band saw will make your life a lot easier with less swearing, same goes to cutting the L-brackets. Oh, well, same goes to the $99 drill press. I did use my CNC mill as a drill press, and my hydraulically controlled metal cutting bandsaw to cut the aluminum, but I didn't use any other tools in the garage other than deburrer and such simple hand tools.

The $99 bandsaw and $99 drill press are usually designed for wood... so they are way too fast for doing metal works... but for the small amount you need to do... they will do ok. Just don't push too hard and let the tools do the work instead of forcing them.

Except cutting/drilling the extrusion and L-brackets, the only space I used was the space the "pit" eventually occupied and the space my office chair occupied, plus a strip of 1'x6' space next to the pit (you know, laying out the tools and screws for easy access.) It's a 56" x 78" space. Once you cut/drill the stuff you need, it's very IKEA, except there is no instruction booklet.

 

Oh... if the NLR Boeing ed. is > USD $1,000, then, this solution not only is hell more flexible, it's quite a bit cheaper, particularly if you go for the cloner extrusions.

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Hempstead

[Hammer1-1]

Oh I work with sheet metal for a living, Ive no doubt I can do it. The job isnt all that hard, I just dont have space here at home to do so. Maybe when I get my own place I will build one, but this current economy prevents that from happening.

[Hammer1-1]

Chose to get this monstrosity today. Have a Winwing F18 MIP coming alongside it too + K51s collective sometime this week.  Ill put pics up when everything comes in...say, around the 4th or 5th. Would like to know if I can mount both a collective and a throttle on this thing simultaneously. I have two throttles, and one of them is straight up going to be a button box instead alongside throttle axes for twin engine helis.

Edited November 29, 2023 by Hammer1-1

[corbu1]

This is my setup with the pit actually. With some try and a few base plates I had I found quite lot possibilties for mounting all my drvices.

I have actually preordered the virpil AH-64 collective and I‘m sure I found a mounting solution for it.

[Hammer1-1]

I saw your makeshift TEDAC with two warthogs. Thats an interesting setup, actually. What did you use for the center monitor?

[corbu1]

vor 3 Stunden schrieb Hammer1-1:

I saw your makeshift TEDAC with two warthogs. Thats an interesting setup, actually. What did you use for the center monitor?

It‘s a TM cougar MFD. But no screen. Simply the MFD mounted on a metal base plate. The base plate has some mountings has also the mountings for the TM Warthog grips attached. The whole thing is covered with a black cover for a TM Warthog throttle I bought from amazon.

Edited November 29, 2023 by corbu1

[Hammer1-1]

That's just clever. I have a warthog stick floating around the house and never thought to use it like that. I might have to try your method and get a second one. I'll have to mull that over, there's a couple things I'd like to get. My winwang F18 MIP arrived today. Is there a place in the front half of the unit to place a throttle at?

Edited November 29, 2023 by Hammer1-1

[corbu1]

vor 18 Stunden schrieb Hammer1-1:

That's just clever. I have a warthog stick floating around the house and never thought to use it like that. I might have to try your method and get a second one. I'll have to mull that over, there's a couple things I'd like to get. My winwang F18 MIP arrived today. Is there a place in the front half of the unit to place a throttle at?

 

Not 100% sure what you mean with front half.

you mean front half at the left side panel?

As said I did some DIY pimping into it with NLR parts included in the simpit but used them for me as not originally intedended by NLR. I added one of the NLR mounting plates in front of my throttle panel. To make it more sturdy I attached a metal profile I had at home and attached it under it. So you could attach another throttle there. Did the same in the other direction and mounted the Virpil control panel to it.

Next upgrade step is removing the desk. Got a monitor stand today for my two monitors. 

[Hammer1-1]

I mean this front half. Oddly enough, this piece is coming in first today, the other half on monday I think.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Hammer1-1

[corbu1]

Well, yes. Easiest would be attaching a throttle as it is shown on your picture on the side mouse plates. The front flight plate has a lot of prepared screwholes as well. See pictures as they might fit….

If it helps you can download the assembly manuals as pdf files from NLR website. 

[Hammer1-1]

This piece arrived today, so I'm opening it up and starting on assembly tonight. Chair should be here by Monday hopefully. Ordered a collective from K-51 and it's coming tomorrow too.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Hammer1-1

[Hammer1-1]

for the most part its rigged up now. collective isnt here yet, but should be on monday. looking really good, feels comfortable, but damn if this wasnt an ordeal to put together. had to sacrifice the extension on my VKB MCE and none happy about that...but it is what it is. tomorrow I get everything working.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Hammer1-1

[corbu1]

Looking great! Yes, assembly takes a while, but you will see that this pit is really nice configurable for your personal needs if you want to.